Handcuffs.



No. 7||,778. Patented Oct. 2|, |902.

. C. L. MEALER. 4

v HANDCUFFS.

[Application led June 29, 1901. Renewed Sept. 16, 1.902.) (No Model.)

@Vitus-aac UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. MEALER, OF DAYTON, TENNESSEE.

HAN DCUFFS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 711,778, dated October 21, 1902.

Application filed .Tune 29,1901. Renewed September 16, 1902. Serial No. 123,642. (No model.)

'0 @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. MEALEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at and whose post-oiice address is Dayton, in the county of Rhea and State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Handcuffs, of which the following is a specifcation.

My invention relates to handcuffs; and its primary object is to provide handcuffs which will occupy little space when not in use and may be conveniently carried in the pocket.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character named which may be quickly applied to the wrists of a prisoner and automatically locked and which cannot be broken apart by a twisting motion.

The construction of the improvement will be fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and its novel features will be defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a pair of handcuffs embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a view showing one of the locks in section and the other in elevation, the chains being omitted; and Fig.Y 3 is a plan view with the front plate of one lock removed to show the upper locking-dog and the other lock in horizontal section to show the intermediate dogin engagement with one of the chain-links.

The reference-numerals 1 and 2 designate the two locks employed, each provided with a swivel 3, said swivels being connected by a ring 4. This manner of connecting the two locks prevents the possibility of breaking the locks apart by a twisting movement, as the swivels 3 will readily turn when the locks are twisted. Each lock is provided with a rigid loop or eye 5, to which is secured one end of a chain 6, comprising elongated links 7 and 8, arranged at right angles to each other, so that the links lie alternately in horizontal and vertical planes, as shown. To the free end of each chain is attached a bar 9, by means of which the chains are passed through the transverse slots lO in the lock-casings.

As the two locks are of similar construction, although oppositely arranged, a specific description of one will suflice for both.

The lock-casing 11 is formed with the transverse opening 10 of cross-shape in cross-section to adapt it to receive the chain 6, which passes throughthe slot. The casing is formed with a recess 12, within which are pivoted a plurality of dogs, preferably three, designated by the numerals 13, 14, and 15. These dogs are secured upon a common pivot-pin 16 and are spaced apart by spacing-plates 17. Behind each dog is a flat spring 18, suitably secured within the casing upon a pin 19 and tending to force the dogs into the slot 10 to engage the links of the chain. Each of the dogs is formed with a shoulder 2O adjacent to its pivot-point to serve as guides for the key which unlocks the dogs. The spacingplates are formed with openings registering with the keyhole 21 in the front plate of the lock. The upper and lower dogs 13 andl are adapted to engage the ends of the vertically-disposed links 8, as shown at the upper portion of Fig. 3, and the intermediate dog 14 engages the horizontally-disposed links 7, as shown at the lower portion of Fig. 3. Thus theV chain is engaged at intervals equal to half the length of a link, insuring a quick and secure adjustment of the chain upon the wrist.

It will be obvious from the illustration in Fig. 3 that the chain will freely pass through the slot 10 to tighten the chain, as the pressure upon the dogs causes the springs 18 to yield; but backward movement is prevented by the engagement of the ends of the dogs with the ends of the links. Thus it will be seen that the device is self-locking, and the chains may be quickly drawn tightly around the wrists and automatically locked.

To unlock the chains, a suitable key is inserted into the keyhole in front of the dogs, and a partial turn of the key forces the dogs backward against the tension of their springs out of engagement with the chain-links, permitting the loosening and withdrawal of the chains.

By providing the three independent locking-dogs I not only insure a locking at a distance equal to half the length of a link, but also aiord additional security, since if one or even two of the dogs should become broken or inoperative the remaining dog or dogs would hold the chains in locked position.

The facility with which the device may be collapsed into small compass when not in use I regard as an 'important feature of the im- IOO provement, as officers of the law can convenien tly carry the same in the vest-pocket ready for use at all times.

I claiml. A pair of handcuffs comprising two locks having a sWiveled connection with each other, a chain for each lock secured thereto at one end and consisting of links disposed alternately at right angles to each other, and mechanism Within each lock-easing for automatically locking the chains consisting of a plurality of spring-pressed dogs adapted to be released by a key, one or more of said dogs being adapted to engage the links which are arranged in the same plane, While the remaining dog is adapted to engage the links disposed at right angles to the irst-named links.-

2. A pair of handcuffs comprising two lockvCHARLES L. MEALER.

lVitnesses:

W. B. MILLER, R. C. WHEELER, 

